Bracelet end attachment



Oct. 1, 1957 E. RODRIGUEZ 2,807,855

' BRACELET END ATTACHMENT FiledJune 16, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 PM i H Z115. 5 I INVENTOR. 70 54 56\ 8 52 60 50 [m1/ Roonguez 54 BY 115.4 K IOct. 1, 1957 E. RODRIGUEZ 2,307,855

BRACELET END ATTACHMENT I Filed June 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [0 I00650 96b 46b 42d 96d 100d 76 INVENTOR. EmI/ R0 dr/guez I04 I006 50 I I512A iiorneys.

'lugs.

United States Patent BRACELET END ATTACHMENT Emil Rodriguez, New York,N. Y., assignor to Jacoby- BYender, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporationof New Application June 16, 1954, Serial No. 437,065

18 Claims. (Cl. 24-265) The present invention relates to a bracelet endattachment adapted to be inserted between spaced watch lugs and, withinlimits, to automatically adapt itself to variations in that space.

Many watches, and particularly mens watches, are provided with pairs ofspaced lugs on each end, between which lugs the ends of a watch strap orbracelet are secured, usually by means of a spring pin passing through ahollow tubular part in the bracelet end and having tips adapted to bereceived in apertures formed in the watch There are a multitude of sizesand styles of watches, and a corresponding variation from watch to watchin the distance between the watch lugs. It is obviously impractical fora manufacturer or retailer of watch bracelets to make or stock braceletsin every style and in every possible width. It is not even feasible tomake bracelets in a limited number of widths, as is done, and provideend attachments for the bracelets which are of exactly the right sizesto correspond to all of the various spacings between the watch lugs.These end attachments are usually an integral part of the bracelet,built thereinto by the manufacturer, and any such approach would requireeach retailer to maintain a tremendous inventory on the chancethat awould-be purchaser might have a watch the lugs of which are spaced fromone another by an unconventional distance.

On the other hand, it is most undesirable appearancewise andfunctionally that when the bracelet is attached to the watch its endsshould slide back and forth between the watch lugs, as would occur ifthe end attachment were narrower than the space between those lugs. Anygap between the bracelet end and the watch lugs is unsightly, 1

and the relative sliding of the watch and bracelet end gives rise to asloppy feeling, and has a tendency to pinch the skin of the wearer.

In the past this problem usually has been met by providing braceletswith end attachments in a limited number of standard widths, and byrequiring the retail jeweler, when the bracelet is sold, to fit thatbracelet to the customers watch and to cut or file down the endattachments so as to give it a width corresponding accurately r to thespace between the lugs on the watch of that particular customer. This isa troublesome task, particularly in view of the fairly low profit madeby the retailer on an individual sale. Furthermore, this expedient hasnot entirely solved the inventory problem of the retailer, since hestill must stock bracelets of a given style having a plurality ofdifferent width end attachments.

It therefore is not surprising that it has been proposed in the pastthat self-sizing end attachments be provided. These have usually takenthe form of a fixed end attachment having a minimal width, with membersresiliently projected out from each end thereof so as to bridge the gapbetween the fixed portion of the end attachment and the lugs of theparticular watch to which the-bracelet is adapted to be secured.Numerous such constructions have 1 been devised, but none of them havemet with any real measure of public acceptance or permanency, primarilyPatented Oct. 1, 1957 because they are extremely unreliable. Thetendency of the bracelet to move toward one lug or the other wasresisted only by the necessarily weak spring acting between the movablemembers on the end attachment. The member pointing in the direction inwhich the bracelet moved would slide inwardly upon the exertion thereoneven of minimal forces, the member on the other side of the endattachment was carried along, and consequently one of the main drawbacksto the use of fixed end attachments narrower than the space between thewatch lugs, to wit, the relative sliding of bracelet and watch, whilesomewhat minimized, was not avoided by such structures. In addition,when the members resiliently urged outwardly from the fixed portion ofthe end attachment were themselves employed to engage with the watchlugs, dispensing with the use of a conventional spring pin, the abovedescribed action of the prior art self-sizing devices often resulted inseparation of the bracelet from the watch, obviously an inadmissiblesituation.

A further drawback to the use of self-sizing end attachments of theprior art was that they were fairly diflicult to manipulate, and thusmade it difficult if not impossible for the average person to remove orattach a bracelet himself. This, of course, placed a burden on theretailer which, while perhaps not as onerous as the previous necessityfor cutting or filing the end attachments to the proper width, wasnevertheless undesirable. It must be realized that, under thesecircumstances, and apart from the time actually involved in attachingthe bracelet to the watch, a potential sale would be lost if thewould-be customer did not happen to have with him the watch with whichthe bracelet was to be used.

A further disadvantage characteristic of the prior art structures,important primarily from an appearance point of view, was that thebracelet would not always be centered between the watch lugs, but mightassume a position closer to one lug than to the other.

The structure of the present invention avoids all of the abovedisadvantages, and involves a mechanism which,

while necessarily somewhat more complex than those sug-' gested in theprior art, nevertheless is eminently capable of manufacture and assemblyat such an extremely low cost as to be commercially practical. To thisend the two members resiliently urged outwardly from opposite ends ofthe fixed portion of the bracelet end attachment are connected to amovement-equalizing linkage, by means of which the positioning of onemember relative to the fixed portion of the end attachment willnecessarily cause a corresponding positioning of the other member. As aresult, the bracelet end attachment will always be centered between thewatch lugs. This movement-equalizing linkage, when properly designed,can also serve two other extremely important functions. First, thelinkage is so designed as to resist and eifectively prevent inwardmovement of the members when all but the strongest inward pressure isapplied only to one of those members. Consequently any tendency of thebracelet to slide from side to side relative to the watch is practicallyeliminated. Second, the same linkage will also function, when theresilient means serving to urge the'members outwardly is active on thosemembers through the intermediation of tion, preferably housedsubstantially completely within the fixed portion of the attachment.When the securing element is thus engaged with the movable members,theattachmentmay readily be inserted between the watch lugs, andwhen theattachment is properly positioned and the. securing element is moved toinoperative position the members are released and are urged outwardly bythe resilient means into engagement with the watch lugs, thus performingtheir self-sizing and centering function. Hence it is a simple matter,well within the capabilities even of the mechanically unskilled, tosecure to a watch bracelet fitted with the end attachment of the presentinvention.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the structure of abracelet end attachment as defined in the appended claims, and asdescribed in this specification, taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is athree-quarter perspective view of a bracelet fittedwith theend attachment of the present invention and showing the manner in whichit is adapted to be secured to a watch;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of the end. attachmentwith the ornamental top shell removed;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof, with the linkage housing crosssectioned;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the movable members infully telescoped condition andwith the securing element in operativeposition;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary exploded view, partially in cross section,showing the linkage and resilient means of the embodimentof Figs. 1-5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to. Fig. 3 but showing another embodiment ofthe present invention;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7; and

Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are views similar to Fig. 2 but showing fourother embodiments of the present invention.

Referring first to the. embodimentsof Figs. l-6, the end attachmentcomprises a base plate 2 oneend 4 of which is in hollow tubular form,the other. end having a rear protrusion 6 provided with an elongatedslot 8, another slot being formed in the other side of the rear portionof the base plate 2, these slots-being provided so that an X-typeresiliently. expandible bracelet generally designated 12 may be securedthereto in conventional manner. An ornamental shell 14 is adapted tocover the plate 2 and the mechanism thereon, the ornamentation on theshell 14 preferably corresponding to the ornamentation of the top shells14a on the bracelet 12. Itwill be understood, of course, that any othertype of bracelet or strap-could be employed in place of the specificbracelet 12 illustrated, the base plate 2 being modified in conventionalmanner so as to be attached thereto.

The tubular part 4 of the base plate 2 is of predeten mined minimalwidth such as to fit between lugs 16 on a watch case 18 when those lugs16 are comparatively closely spaced. A pair of members 20 and 22 areprovided telescopable within the hollow tubular portion 4 (see Fig. 5)and movable outwardly beyond the sides 24 and- 26 thereof. In the formshown in Figs. 1-5, each of these members is formed from a single sheetof metal or the like rolled or bent to define a hollow tube, aconventional spring securing pin 28 (see Fig. 1) being adapted to bepassed therethrough and through the hollow tubular part 4 of the baseplate 2 so that the tips 30 of the spring pin 28 may be received withinapertures 32 in the watch lugs 16. In order to provide access to thespring pin when the bracelet is to be removed, the outer endof one ofthe members, here shown as the member 22, is provided with a slot 34. Inaddition, the inner ends of each of the members 20 and 22 are providedwith slots 36 and 38 respectively. Each of the members 20 and 22 isprovided with rearwardly extending plates 40 and 42 respectively whichare slidable along passages 44 (see Fig. 4) defined between the baseplate 2 and the overhanging end of the tubular part 4. Ex-

tending downwardly from the central portion of the lower side of thebase plate 2 is a housing generally designated 46 the upper portion ofwhich may be open, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The bottom wall 48 of thehousing 46 is provided with a slot 50 along which pin 52 slides, theslot 50 being oriented substantially at right angles to the length ofthe tubular part 4, that is to say, perpendicular to the width of theend attachment. A pair of arms 54 and 56 are provided respectively withhubs 5S and 60 freely rotatably fitted on the pin 52, and a hellcalspring 62 is wound about the pin 52 inside the hubs 58 and 60, the ends96 and of that spring 62, after the spring has been stressed, beingreceived within notches 64 and 66 formed respectively in the upper andlower surfaces of the hubs 58 and 6t), the spring 62 being active tourge the arms 54 and 56 to rotate away from one another. The pin 52 maybe provided with a head 68 in order to retain the hubs 58 and.60 on thepin 52 and the spring ends in their respective notches 64 and 66. As maybest be seen from Figs. 4 and 6, the arms 54 and 56 are adapted to ridealong the bottom wall 48 of the housing portion 46 and extend into thehollow tubular portion 4. The arms, at their ends, are providedrespectively. with trunnions 70 and 72' adapted to be receivedrespectively in the slots36 and 38 at the inner ends of the movablemembers 29 and 22, thus defining a pivotal operative connection betweeneach of the members-20, 22 and a corresponding arm 54, 56. The tendencyof the spring 62 to separate the arms 54 and 56 will therefore cause themembers 20 and 22 to slide outwardly beyond the sides 24 and 26respectively of the tubular part 4, thus in efiect extending the widthof the end attachment so as to correspond to the spacing between theparticular watch lugs 16 involved. When this occurs, the pin 52 willslide along the slot 50 in the direction of the tubular member 4.

If pressure is exerted on the members 20 and 22 so as to tend to movethem into the tubular part 4, thus contracting the effective width ofthe attachment, this pressure will cause the arms 54 and 56 to swingtoward one another against the action of the spring 62, the pin 52sliding along the slot 50 in a direction away from the tubular part 4,and when pressure is released from the members 20 and- 22 they will onceagain, under the influence of the spring 62, resiliently telescopeoutwardly to an extent limited only by the length of the slot 50, whichrestricts the degree towhich the pin 52 can slide toward the tubularpart 4.

Because of the orientation of the slot 50, the pin 52 is restricted frommovement in a direction widthwise of the attachment. Hence the members20 and 22, when operatively connected to the arms 56 and 54respectively, must be correspondingly positioned relative to the tubularportion 4. As a-result, the part .of the attachment secured to thebracelet 12 will always be centered between the watch lugs 16 whentheouter ends of the members 20 and 22 are in engagement withthose lugs.

It will be noted that the arms 54 and 56 extend at an angle to thedirection of-movement of the members 20 and 22. As a result, when agiven force is exerted upon the members 20 and 22 tending to cause themto telescope inwardly with respect to the tubular part 4, only acomponent. of that force will be exerted on the arms 54 and 56 as amoment tending to cause them to pivot toward one another. It isonly thismoment which is active on the spring 62 to cause the latter to wind up.That com.- ponent of the force exerted on the member 20 which is notapplied to the spring 62 is partially opposed by an opposite andsubstantially equal component, of the force exerted on themember-22,"the remainder of those components acting aidingly to slidethe pin 52 along the slot 50. Consequently, for a given resistance tomovement of the members 20 and 22, a weaker spring 62may be employedthan would be the case if the spring were directly active on the members20 and 22 in the manner suggested by the prior art. Conversely,employment of a spring 62 of conventional strength will result inincreased resistance of the members 20 and 22 to inward movement whencompared to the structures of the prior art. The magnitude of thecomponents of the forces exerted on the members 20 and 22 which will beapplied tothe spring 62 will increase as the arms 54 and 56 approach oneanother. At the same time the spring 62, being more and more wound up,will resist those forces to an increased degree. These effects at leastto some extent compensate for one another, so that the resistance toinward movement of the members 20 and 22 is much more independent oftheir position relative to the tubular part 4 than would otherwise bethe case.

That component of the inward force exerted on the members 20 and 22which does not act on the spring 62 plays a further extremely importantrole. Let us assume that inward force is exerted only on the member 20,as would be the case if the bracelet, after being attached to the Watch18, tended to slide toward the watch lug 16 with which the member 20 wasin engagement. One component of this force would tend to cause the arm54 to pivot toward the arm 56. Another component thereof, however, wouldbe exerted on the pin 52 in the direction in which the arm 54 extends.Part of this latter force component would tend to cause the pin 52 toslide along the slot 50 away from the tubular part 4, but another partthereof would tend to force the pin 52 against the side of the slot 50.This last component would be appreciable, its precise magnitudedepending on the angularity of the arm 54 relative to the slot 50, thepin 52 will resist sliding, and consequently the arm 54 will not pivot.Hence the member 20 will strongly resist inward telescoping movement. Itis only when inward pressure is exerted simultaneously on the members 20and 22 that the pin 52 will freely slide along the slot 50, the forcecomponents tending to urge the pin 52 against the sides of the slot 50cancelling one another out in that latter situation. Hence the linkagehere disclosed has the additional extremely important efiect of stronglyresisting inward force exerted on only one of the members 20 and 22.Therefore the end attachment of the present invention will not onlyinitially center itself between the watch lugs 16, but will reliablyremain thus centered even when extremely appreciable forces are exertedthereon tending to move it toward one watch lug 16 or the other.

A securing element in the form of an arm 74 is pivotally mounted on thebase plate 2 at 76 and is adapted to overlie the head 68 of the pin 52,thus serving to retain the pin 52 in position. The arm 74 is providedwith a tab 78 extending downwardly through an arcuate slot 80 in thebase plate 2, manual manipulation of the tab 78 causing the arm 74 to bemoved between its inoperative position shown in Fig. 2 and its operativeposition shown in Fig. 5 The arm is provided with teeth 82 and 84engageable with corresponding teeth 86 and 88 on the plates 40 and 42respectively when the members 20 and 22 are substantially fullytelescoped Within the tubular part 5, the arm '74 thus retaining themembers 20 and 22 in their retracted position, the effective width ofthe attachment thus being maintained at its minim-a1 value. Thisfacilitates insertion of the attachment between the watch lugs 16 andthe securing of the spring pin 28 to those lugs 16. After this has beenaccomplished, the tab 78, accessible from beneath the attachment, ismoved along the slot 80 so that the arm 74 is pivoted to its inoperativeposition releasing the teeth 86 and 88 on the plates 40 and 42respectively, the spring 62 then being permitted to unwind soas to causethe members 20 and 22 to telescope out-v plates 40 and 42 so as toprevent the members 20 and 22 from sliding completely out of the tubularpart 4.

The embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 illustrates an attachment employingmovable members 20 and 22' of a specifically dilferent type from thoseemployed in the embodiment of Figs. 1-6. In Figs. 7 and 8 those membersare solid bars telescopable with respect to the fixed tubular portion 4and carrying tips 30' at their ends, those tips 30' being adapted fordirect engagement with the apertures 32 in the watch lugs 16, thusdispensing with the necessity for the employment of a separate springpin 28. It will be understood that the tipped members 20' and 22 couldbe substituted for the tubular members 20, 22 in all of the otherillustrated embodiments.

The embodiment of Figs. 7 and 3 also discloses a specifically differentlinkage between the members 20' and 22. The base plate 2 is providedwith the elongated slot 59 oriented substantially perpendicular to thewidth of the attachment, and each of the movable members 20' and 22 areprovided with plates 40 and 42 slidable therewith, each of those platesbeing provided respectively with an elongated slot 92 and 94respectively, each of those slots being inclined approximately 45degrees with respect to the slot 50 and those slots at least partiallyoverlapping, the pin 52 passing through the overlapping portions of theslots 92 and 94 and sliding along the slot 50. The coil spring 62a hasone end 96a engaged against a tab 98 extending up from the base plate 2,the other end 106a of the spring 62a bearing against the pin 52 betweenthe plates 40 and 42' and being active to urge the pin 52 toward thetubular part 4. It will be appreciated that the mode of operation of theembodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 will be substantially similar to that of thepreviously disclosed embodiment. The members 20' and 22' are connectedtogether by means of the slots 92 and 94 in their respective plates 40and 42 and by the pin 52 motion of which laterally of the attachment iseffectively prevented, so that each of the members 20 and 22 will alwaysbe correspondingly positioned relative to the tubular part 4, thusproviding for centering the attachment at all times. The inclination ofthe slots 92 and 94 will serve to resist inward movement of the members20 and 22' when inward force is exerted only on one of those members.The spring 62a will be active to cause the members 2t? and 22' to assumeits outward telescoped positions, and only a portion of the inward forceexerted on the members 20' and 22 will be applied to the spring 620.

The embodiment of Fig. 9 is similar to that of Figs. l-6 except that thespring 6211, instead of being wound around the pin 52, is insteadconfined within the housing portion 46b, one end 965 thereof beingactive against an end of the housing 46b and the other end 19Gb thereofbeing active against the hubs 58 and 60 of the arms 54 and 56 so as tourge those hubs, along with the pin 52, toward the tubular part 4. Theembodiment of Fig. 10 is similar to that of Figv 9 except that aspecifically different location of the spring is disclosed, that springbeing designated 620, the end 960 thereof bearing against a side of thehousing 46c and the end a thereof bearing directly against a tab 191 onone of the arm links.

InFig. 11 a spring 62d is employed having ends 96d and'l tltld active onthe movable members 20 andlZ2 independently of the linkage whichconnects them, those spring ends 96d and 100d engaging the innerends ofthe plates 40a and 42d slidable respectively with the members 20 and 22.A spring 62d may also be employed directly on the. arms 54 and 56 so asto ensure that the trunnions 70 and 72 will remain within the slots 36and 38 respectively, but the spring 62d may be con siderably weaker thanthe spring 62 in the embodiment of Figs. 1-6. Of course, a spring 62d ofnormal strength could be employed, the springs 62d and 62d thusassisting one another in urging the members 20 and 22 outwardly.

In the embodiment of Fig. 12 a tension spring 62:: is employed, one end96a of which is secured to a pin 102 extending up from the base plate 2,the other-end ltltle of which is secured to a pin 104 projecting fromone of the hubs 58 or 6%, the spring 62a, like the springs 62a, 62/) and62c, being active to urge the linkage to move so that thearms 54 and 56pivot away from one another and the pin 52 moves along the slot 50toward the tubular part 4.

From the above description it will be apparent that a simple and readilyconstructed and assembled end attachment has been devised which willreliably and positively provide a self-sizing feature, which will permitthe use of weaker springs than have previously been employed withoutsacrifice of operating characteristics or, conversely, will provideimproved operating characteristics with springs of conventionalstrength, and which will effectively retain the attachment centeredbetween the lugs 16 of the watch 18 to which it may be attached againstall normal dislocative forces which may be applied thereto.

While numerous detailed embodiments of the present invention have beenhere disclosed, it will be appreciated that they are merely illustrativeof the many forms which this invention may take, all within the spiritthereof as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bracelet end attachment comprising a base having a part with sidesadapted to be inserted between spaced watch lugs, a pair oflongitudinally extending members on said base movable inwardly andoutwardly with respect to the sides of said base part substantially inthe direction of their 'length. resilient means active on said membersto urge them outwardly, and a linkage operatively connected between saidmembers and effective to require simultaneous movement of both membersinwardly or outwardly with respect to said base part.

2. In the attachment of claim 1, a securing element mounted on said baseso as to be movable between operative and inoperative position, saidsecuring element when in operative position engaging said members whenthe latter are positioned inwardly with respect to the sides of saidbase part and retaining said members in that position.

3. A bracelet end attachment comprising a base having a part with sidesadapted to be inserted between spaced watch lugs, a pair oflongitudinally extending members on said basemovable inwardly andoutwardly with respect to the sides of said base part substantially inthe direction of their length, resilient means active on said members tourge them outwardly, and a securing element mounted on said base so asto be movable be tween operative and inoperative position, said securingelement when in operative position engaging said member when the latterare positioned inwardly with respect to the sides of said base part andretaining said members in that position.

4. The attachment of claim 1, in which said linkage is so constructedand arranged as to resist inward movement of said members upon theapplication of inwardly directed force to only one of said members.

5. The attachment of claim 1, said linkage comprising elements connectedrespectively to and movable with said members, and a linking meansoperatively between said elements and movable substantially only in adirection perpendicular to the length of said members, said elementsand, said means being operatively connected so that said means movestoward and away from said body part as said members move outwardly andinwardly with respect to said body part, whereby inward movement of saidmembers is resisted upon the application of inward force to only one ofsaid members.

6. The attachment of claim 1, in which said linkage comprises a pair ofarms pivotally connected respectively to said members and oriented .atan angle with respect to the length of said members, and amovement-equalizing connection between said arms, whereby inwardmovement ofsaid members is resisted upon the application of inward forceto only one of said members.

7. The attachment of claim 1, in which said linkage comprises a pair ofarms pivotally connected respectively to said members and oriented at anangle with respect to the length of said members, a pin pivotallyconnecting said arms to one another in overlapping relation, and means,for preventing movement of said pin in the direction of movement ofsaid members, whereby inward movement of said members is resisted uponthe application of inward force to only one of said members.

8. A bracelet end attachment comprising a base, a fixed tubular part onsaid base adapted to be inserted between spaced watch lugs, a pair oflongitudinally extending members telescopable into and out of oppositesides of said tubular part substantially in the direction of theirlength, resilient means active on said members to urge them outwardly,and a linkage operatively connected between said members and effectiveto require simultaneous movement of both members inwardly or outwardlywith respect to said tubular part.

9. In the attachment of claim 8, a securing element mounted on said baseso as to be movable between operative and inoperative positions, saidsecuring element when in operative position engaging said members whenthe latter are positioned inwardly with respect to the sides of saidtubular part and retaining said members in that position.

10. The attachment of claim 8, said linkage comprising elementsconnected respectively to and movable with said members, and a linkingmeans operatively between said elements and movable substantially onlyin a direction perpendicular to the length of said members, saidelements and said means being operatively connected so that said meansmoves toward and away from said body part as said members move outwardlyand inwardly with respect to said body part, whereby inward movement ofsaid members is resisted upon the application of inward force to onlyone of said members.

11. The attachment of claim 8, in which said linkage comprises a pair ofarms pivotally connected respectively to said members and oriented at anangle with respect to the length of said members, a pin pivotallyconnecting said arms to one another in overlapping relation, and meansfor preventing movement of said pin in the direction of the length ofsaid members, whereby inward movement of said members is resisted uponthe application of inward force to only one of said members.

12. The attachment of claim 11, in which said memhers have slots openingoutwardly from the inner ends thereof, and in which said arms havetrunnions receivable in said slots, said trunnions and slots definingthe pivotal operative connection between said arms and said members,whereby said operative connections may be effectuated by sliding saidmembers inwardly through said tubular part until said slots receive saidtrunnions.

13. The attachment of claim 11, in which said members have slots openingoutwardly from the inner end thereof, and in which, said arms havetrunnions receivable in said slots, said'trunnions and slots definingthe pivotal operative connection between said arms and said members,whereby said'operative connection may be'effectuated by sliding saidmembers inwardly through said tubular part until said slots receive saidtrunnions, said resilient means being active on said members via saidlinkage, whereby only a fraction of any inward force which may beexerted on said members is applied to said resilient means.

14. A bracelet end attachment comprising a base, a first tubular part onsaid base extending substantially in a straight line from side to sidethereof and adapted to be inserted between spaced watch lugs, saidtubular part having a slot therethrough extending longitudinally thereofbetween its interior and a surface of said base, a pair oflongitudinally extending members telescopicable into and out of oppositesides of said tubular part substantially in the direction of theirlength, projections carried by said members and extending through saidslot so as to overlie said base surface, resilient means active on saidmembers to urge them outwardly, a linkage operatively connected betweensaid members and efiective to require simultaneous movement of bothmembers inwardly or outwardly with respect to said tubular part, and asecuring element mounted on said base surface so as to be movablebetween operative and inoperative positions, said securing element whenin operative position engaging said projections when said members arepositioned inwardly with respect to the sides of said tubular part andretaining said members in that position.

15. The attachment of claim 14, said linkage comprising elementsconnected respectively to and movable with said members, and a linkingmeans operatively between said elements and movable substantially onlyin a direction perpendicular to the length of said members, saidelements and said means being operatively connected so that said meansmoves toward and away from said body part as said members move outwardlyand inwardly with respect to said body part, whereby inward movement ofsaid members is resisted upon the application of inward force to onlyone of said members.

16. The attachment of claim 14, in which said linkage comprises a pairof arms pivotally connected respectively to said members and oriented atan angle with respect to the length of said members, a pin pivotallyconnecting said arms to one another in overlapping relation, and meansfor preventing movement of said pin in the direction of the length ofsaid members, whereby inward movement of said members is resisted uponthe application of inward force to only one of said members.

17. The attachment of claim 16, in which said members have slots openingoutwardly from the inner ends thereof, and in which said arms havetrunnions receivable in said slots, said trunnions and slots definingthe pivotal operative connection between said arms and said members,whereby said operative connections may be efiectuated by sliding saidmembers inwardly through said tubular part until said slots receive saidtrunnions.

18. The attachment of claim 16, in which said members have slots openingoutwardly from the inner end thereof, and in which said arms havetrunnions receivable in said slots, said trunnions and slots definingthe pivotal operative connection between said arms and said members,whereby said operative connection may be eflectuated by sliding saidmembers inwardly through said tubular part until said slots receive saidtrunnions, said resilient means being active on said members via saidlinkage, whereby only a fraction of any inward force which may beexerted on said members is applied to said resilient means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS863,254 Bishop Aug. 13, 1907 1,128,719 Poppenhusen Feb. 16, 19151,172,482 Perkins Feb. 22, 1916 1,999,707 Spiegel Apr. 30, 19352,653,369 Rodriguez Sept. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 102,023 7 GreatBritain June 22, 1916 41,337 Sweden Sept. 13, 1916

